FTi Aftermath
by NintendoGal55
Summary: Arnold reflects his feelings about what had happened on the fated day upon the FTi rooftop. After some pretty good advice, and taking the time to think it all over, he decides to get it all out and have a good talk with Helga about it.
1. Thinking

**Hello, all. :D Welcome back!**

**Today, we've got a little interesting fic where we have Arnold reflecting what had happened on the FTI rooftop, and what his own feelings are about it all. I also was inspired by Darth Roden a.k.a. Carl's fanfic "Arnold's Couch Confessions" (also see chapter 6 of my fic "Arnold's Leg", also inspired by the aforementioned fic) fanfic, where Arnold talks to Dr. Bliss about everything.**

**Here, it takes place as if he did have a brief session with her, but couldn't get everything out, so now he's taking time to think it over himself. **

**--**

Life made no sense sometimes.

It always seemed basic, didn't it? You were born, with your set of eyes, hair, skin, genealogy, personality, family. You grew up and played with toys. You went to school and learned things, made some friends.

So then why did some things have to pop out and surprise you?

Arnold knew this especially. He'd gone through quite a lot of life-altering experiences. Most notably, when he and Gerald decided to risk everything in order to save their neighbourhood from being torn down. When all hope seemed lost, they were eventually guided by a mysterious character known as Deep Voice, who had led them to key elements that would help them save the neighbourhood. If not for Deep Voice, they would have failed, or worse, be sent to Juvenile Hall, all the while having to move because of the demolition of the neighborhood.

Opportunity struck to find out Deep Voice's identity, and Arnold took it, now with the intent to find out who had been helping him all this time. Little did he know how surprised he would be when he found out who it really was.

And that surprise came in the name of his personal tormentor, Helga Geraldine Pataki.

It wasn't just the fact that she'd been Deep Voice all this time that surprised him. Helga had gone out of her way to help him and Gerald save the neighbourhood all the while _giving up getting rich off the deal_. Even now, he was still stunned about it. How many nine year old girls actually did that? Not many, that was for sure.

Then again, Helga was undoubtedly one in a million.

This of course piqued his curiosity. How did she get the information? Probably through her dad, since he apparently worked close with that Nick guy, he figured. Why didn't she just tell him what she knew? Most of all...why did she do it at all?

It was definitely planned, he knew that much. There was no way she could have just used all that in the "heat of the moment".

She did give some lousy excuses that she could not have possibly expected him to buy. Of course, he could have just accepted the fact that she had even helped him at all and left it that. But no, oh no. He kept pressing on, demanding why. This was, after all, a very huge deal. She was going against her own father, giving up getting rich, all to help someone she claimed to hate. Of course, after a while, he eventually got his answer, which was also a huge surprise he did not, and yet should have, expected.

It came in the name of her being in love with him.

Love!

Helga Pataki, the very girl who tormented him with trivial teasing all these years, said over and over that she hated him for little to no reason, was actually in love with him. This of course freaked him out like he hadn't felt in a long time. Even more so than when she, Gerald and himself had gone to the old train station to find the supposedly haunted Train 25 that turned out not to even be haunted at all.

Of course, it DID make sense, however. Because you would never do that kind of thing for someone unless you really loved them. She did it because she wanted to help him save the neighborhood, to prove her love for him, and of course, the likely reason that she would never see him again if he had to move away. It was all done out of love.

It was still surprising, since no nine-year-old would ever do such a thing for a boy no matter how much she liked him. Then again, a nine-year-old also didn't often harbour a love for a boy as if she were older than her age.

For a minute, he didn't want to believe it. It was impossible! Helga hated him! She could not have possibly loved him, she just couldn't.

But oh, she did, and he knew she did. BIG TIME.

"Boy, I sure don't doubt that now." Arnold murmured to himself, laying back on his bed as he stared up at his skylight, watching the rain patter on the glass.

It came clear that she was telling the truth when she kissed him on the lips for the third time. Though they'd kissed twice before, both of which were scripted. This particular kiss was a real kiss. A real, unscripted, excuse-free kiss.

A kiss free of Shakespearean dialog and directors and cameras. But like the other two, it was a long kiss. Helga hadn't actually been subtle in prolonging their kisses for an extended period of time. This one was no different, and it had lasted nine seconds.

Though it felt like an eternity.

But it wasn't just her passionate, true kiss that convinced him she was telling the truth.

It was the sweet tone of voice she had for a couple of minutes as she was actually being romantic to him, in hopes of winning him over. Admittedly, it was flattering, but he hadn't had the time to think about it. It also was the look in her eyes, the moment she was holding him while he was trying to tell her "No! I mean...there's no time for that!" and for moments after, when he was trying to tell her they also had to save the neighbourhood.

Arnold also wondered what she could have possibly meant when he'd said he needed to lie down. Her exact words were as followed:

"Wonderful! I'll go with you!"

What the?

"Wonderful! I'll go with you!"?

Even now, he had no understanding of her words beyond what they truly meant. He would lie down, and she would go lie down with him. It made no sense. No logical sense, anyway.

It had now been two weeks since the incident, and he STILL couldn't stop thinking about it. Helga had of course gone back to her usual bullying ways, though she always seemed to cast him a secretive glance when she thought he wasn't looking. Her spitballing decreased, and her teasing was still in there, but there was an undertone within it. It was as if she was trying too hard and knew that her teasing didn't have the same effect on him now she knew that he knew she loved him.

Oh yes, Arnold knew she was lying when they had agreed it was just in the heat of the moment. Even she knew better, he was sure of it. But they just had a silent understanding with each other.

For now, at least.

Just a few days ago, he had spoken briefly with Dr. Bliss, the school's child psychologist, about Helga and the incident itself. It had indeed helped, and it gave him quite a bit to think about. But his biggest question, which sadly he didn't get to ask, was...what to do now?

Arnold sighed again, and sat up, unsure of what to think about that. Not only that, but a certain question Dr. Bliss had asked him, something he hadn't exactly taken the time to think of before was:

"Do you love Helga back?"

That was a good question. Love? Did he love her back?

He understood now, that Helga's greatest fear would be that he didn't love her back. Understandably so, he knew exactly how that felt.

Did he like her? Yes, he did. When she was herself, and actually showing how she really was behind the bully persona, he liked her. He liked her sarcastic humour, and yet still genuinely fun joking about. In all, he did like her.

Did he care about her? There was no question, he cared about her immensely. He wanted her to be happy, and hated seeing her so sad. Those times he did something nice for her, he always savoured the smile she held, whether in her eyes or on her face.

So, did he love her?

He wasn't sure. He liked her, probably more than as a friend, as Dr. Bliss had revealed as they spoke about it, and especially in relation to a couple of dreams he'd had about her. He cared about her deeply, no question. But love? Did he love her back?

Despite his uncertainty, he was almost scared not to feel the same way. He knew it would crush her, and the last thing he wanted to do was make her sad. She just wanted to be loved, specifically by him, and what if he couldn't do that?

It would crush him too, that's for sure.

Arnold sighed again, falling back on his bed. After everything he thought about and talked about when it came to her, either with Dr. Bliss or in his own mind, he feared the idea of not loving her back. Helga deserved to be loved. Of course, he knew he couldn't fake it, that would be wrong. He could never do that to her.

That was part of why he wanted to think about it.

"What can I do...." Arnold sighed. "I wish I could do something about all this, but what?"

"Knock knock, short man!" Grandpa Phil announced as he opened the door and came into the bedroom. "What's with you today, Arnold? You've been locked in your room all morning! Is something bothering you?"

Arnold sat up in his bed. "...Yeah, Grandpa. A lot's been bothering me lately."

"Ohhhh, this should be good!" Phil said, and sat down next to him on his bed. "What's the problem, short man? Trouble at school? With friends?...Girl trouble?"

"Girl trouble." Arnold nodded. "You remember Helga, right?"

"Helga? Oh yes, that girl with the bow, pigtails, pink dress and one eyebrow? The one that's always pickin' on you and jumping rope in front of the house?"

"Yeah, that's her." Arnold confirmed, laying his head on his hands, his elbows propped on his legs. "You remember how you said she's always picking on me because she really likes me?"

Phil laughed. "Course I do, short man! It's true you know, that girl definitely has it bad for you!"

Arnold gave a mirthless laugh. "Well, Grandpa, you were right. Just recently she told me that she was in love with me."

"Well I'll be darned!" Phil grinned. "It's about dang time she came out with it and you figured it out! Haha, I knew it! ...What's wrong, Arnold? You don't seem too happy about it."

"It's not that, Grandpa. I'm actually pretty flattered that someone actually likes me, given my bad luck with girls." Arnold said, and then he sighed. "It's just...I don't know how I feel about her. I know I do like her, and I care about her, but I don't know if I love her back."

"Ohhhh, I see your dilemma, Arnold." Phil said, nodding. "Say, you remember when I told you about that girl I went to school with back in the day?"

"Yeah, Gertie. She treated you just like Helga treats me. Actually Grandpa, I've been meaning to ask, what happened with her?"

Phil laughed a bit. "Well short man, it happened some time during the depression and I had to move away because our family was starving. In fact, a lot of kids in our town had to move away! Gertie was lucky, she didn't have to move, but I had to. Frankly, I was ready to say good riddance! But then, the strangest thing just happened!"

"What, Grandpa?"

"She had this uncle, Trevor...well, by marriage, actually. Her aunt dumped the man later on in the forties! He was a business man from New York, and he opened up a shop in town, it was a hardware store. So before I left school, I told my best friend Jimmy Kofka that my family was moving, and everyone in class, including Gertie, all found out about it. So on the day of the move, Trevor came to my dad and offered him a job as night watchman at his hardware store! So we didn't have to move! As it turned out, short man, Gertie went to her uncle and managed to convince him to give my old man a job at his store!"

"Wow, really? She did that?" Arnold asked, surprised.

"You bet she did! When I found out she did, I went and asked her why she did it, but she kept giving me all these lame excuses, until she eventually caved in and said she didn't want me to move. Why? Simple! She liked me. Well, a lot!"

"Wow..." Arnold uttered, blinking. This was MAJOR deja-vu. "That's almost like what happened with Helga and I. ...Grandpa, what happened with you two after that? Did you like her too?"

Phil gave him a sly grin. "She's downstairs right now, short man. I married her!"

"WHAT?!"

Phil laughed loudly at Arnold's surprised outburst, unable to contain himself. He'd been waiting for quite a while to see his grandson's reaction to the irony of the situation.

"Hard to believe, eh, Arnold? Your ol' Grandma and Grandpa together after all that torture!"

"I can't believe it...Gertie was _Grandma_..." Arnold said, still in shock. "You and Grandma had the exact same relationship Helga and I have right now...and now she helped you and your family to prevent you from moving away all out of love. I...I don't know what to say..."

"Well short man, I sure didn't know what to think at the time either!" Phil grinned. "I'd never thought of Pookie in that way, since she was always so mean, ya know. But believe me, short man, she was the perfect girl for me! Sure didn't take long for me to realize we were meant for each other!"

"I...I...that's so...I can't believe it." Arnold finally sat back up. "Even after all that Gertie...I mean, Grandma, did to you...more extreme that Helga, that's for sure... you still fell in love with her and now you're together several years."

"Don't think I wouldn't have thought people were crazy if they told me that back when I was your age, short man." Phil told him, and laughed some more. "So tell me, tell your old Grandpa, do you love this girl?"

"I...I...." Arnold wasn't sure how to respond to that now. If his own grandparents could overcome obstacles and find love each other and STILL be together even after their rocky start, then who's to say he and Helga wouldn't meet the same fate? "I don't know, Grandpa. I don't know how I feel about her, and I don't know what to do. If it turns into repeated history of you and Grandma, well, that really doesn't sound so bad at all. But what if it doesn't?"

"Ohhh...I see the problem." Phil said, and patted his back. "You're scared that you won't love that girl Helga in return, because of everything she's been through and how much she loves you."

"Yes." Arnold admitted, his eyes moistening. "I'd hate to crush her like that, Grandpa. And I know how it feels to really like someone and they don't like you back. It hurts. And I don't want to put her through that. I know she bullied me a lot, but...come on, Grandma bullied you like Helga does to me, and you still found love in her."

"Well Arnold, I couldn't say for sure how you feel, since you gotta figure it out yourself, short man." Phil patted his back. "But let me tell you something kiddo, you want to know what I did?"

"What, Grandpa?" Arnold looked up at him.

"I decided, since Pookie liked me so much, why not give her a chance? After what she did, helping my old man get a job and all, I knew she was actually a nice girl and just wanted me to like her. Well, I was sure nice to her after that, short man!"

"So, you're saying I should be nice to Helga?"

"That's right, short man! Be nice to her, show her some kindness, let her know you want to try to give her a chance!"

"But, what if I turn out not to like her in return?"

"Oh Arnold, don't worry about that now! Just follow your instincts, your good ones! And you know what else? Pookie and I had a good talk a couple years after I was out of school, since we didn't get to see each other much! We talked a lot that day, and let me tell you, short man, it helped!"

"Talk? What did you talk about?" Arnold asked, puzzled.

"About us!" Phil said. "We talked about us! You and one-eyebrow need to do the same."

"...So, I should be nice to Helga, and actually sit down and talk with her about all this? ...You know, Dr. Bliss said the same thing, although I didn't get a chance to ask her to elaborate on that."

"Well she's right, short man!" Phil grinned, patting his back again.

"...You know, thanks, Grandpa. I think I know what I have to do now." Arnold said, smiling a little.

"That's the spirit, short man!" Phil said, and got up. "Well, I've got some things to take care of. And remember Arnold, never eat raspberries!" He laughed again and left the room.

Smiling a bit to himself, Arnold lay back on his bed, staring up at the rain still pattering on his skylight. Yes, he knew exactly what he had to do now.

He went over to his phone, dialing a number he knew now by heart.

"Hello...?"

"Helga? Hey, it's Arnold. Listen, um, I was wondering if maybe you could meet me at Mighty Pete tomorrow afternoon at two?"

--

**Coming up next, Arnold talks with Helga! :D**

**Also, expect to see some fanart for this soon. ;)**


	2. Talking

**And now for part two!**

**...Because fanfics are the only source of ArnoldxHelga love of what SHOULD have happened. DX**

**Well, here we go!**

**--**

Well, here they were.

Inside the treehouse. Alone. With nothing but their thoughts. They barely even looked at each other as they sat there, waiting for the other to say something.

Arnold looked at Helga, seeing her sitting there, staring at her lap, her hands were clasped together. She was obviously nervous, and understandably so. This was heavy stuff.

But, they needed to talk to each other about all this. They really did.

_Come ON, football head! Say something! _Arnold thought to himself, in a bit of a Helga-ish way.

_Come on Helga, just say something. _Helga thought to herself, in an ironically Arnold-ish way.

But what? What could they say?

Arnold looked around for something to distract him, something he could casually mention. His eyes fell on the pretty silver wristwatch Helga was wearing.

"Um...that's a...nice watch you have there."

Helga looked up at him strangely, and gave a faint smile. "Um...thanks, I guess."

"Is it new?"

"No, I've had it for a while."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Awkward silence then followed, the two of them once again looking away from each other. In the background, they could hear the sounds of cars driving, kids yelling and laughing, people chatting, birds singing, and bicycle horns and bells honking and ringing.

In the distance, they could also hear the distinct ringing of church bells. A wedding? Afternoon mass?

Finally, Arnold looked over at Helga, deciding to just come out with it.

"Helga...we need to talk."

Helga just gave him a look.

"Doi, I know _that_, football head. You said that over the phone."

Arnold sighed, shaking his head. This was going to take a bit longer than he would have expected. And yet, this WAS Helga, after all.

But he kept trying.

"Listen, I can understand you're not very comfortable with this. And believe me, I'm not exactly comfortable either. But, I really think we should just get everything out on the table and just be honest with each other. And don't worry, it's just you and me here, no one's going to hear us unless of course you shout. So you won't have to worry about us being interrupted. All I want is for you, and I will as well, to tell the truth. I won't laugh at you or mock you Helga, I promise. I would never make you feel stupid for how you feel. I'll admit that my response to your...um... confession was a little bit rude, and I do apologize for that. But to be fair, I was trying to save the neighbourhood and you can kind of...came on to me with that. I don't blame you for it, I deserve what I had coming. So let's talk, Helga. Let's get this all out."

Helga gave him a hard stare, and sighed, leaning up against the wall she was sitting up against.

"Fine. But you first, football head. I won't budge until you do first."

"All right, fine." Arnold muttered, and straightened up, facing her.

Clearing his throat, he then proceeded to talk.

"So, like I said, your confession to me on the FTI rooftop really surprised me. I honestly didn't think the one person who's acted like she hated me all this time was actually in love with me. I...I'll admit, I am flattered, though. It's kind of nice to know someone does like me...but the point is, it freaked me out a bit. I wasn't expecting it and I wasn't ready to deal with it yet. I wanted to give you an answer, but I didn't want to under all the uncertainty I was feeling. I couldn't just tell you that I didn't like you in that way, because that wasn't exactly an honest answer. I also couldn't just say I liked you too because you liked me, that would not have been fair. So, I wanted to think about it before being able to give you an answer. It was a lot to take in, especially from someone who tortured me all this time."

He paused, taking in her expression. She was listening to him, her expression was a bit of a scowl, and her eyes were unreadable. He gulped, hoping he hadn't hurt her feelings.

"But, I don't condemn you for it, either." Arnold went on. "I can understand why you put up all this hostility. You want to get people before they get you. It's not the best method in protecting yourself-" He gulped at getting the evil eye. "I-I mean! I mean that...never mind. What I'm trying to say is that I understand why you do that."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. This is who I am, football head." Helga finally said.

Arnold gave a bit of an irritated look. "That's not going to work, Helga. I know fully well that's not true. If you're going to continue playing those head games with me, then fine. Maybe I'll just stop wasting my time."

He of course, was actually testing her. So he stood up, watching her reaction. And immediately, she stood too and went to him, grabbing his shoulders.

"Oh no you don't. You dragged me into this, and we're not gonna leave until you get that dumb talk you want so bad. I'll play your game, football head, and you're darn lucky that I'm even bothering. So don't make me regret it!"

He sighed, but glad she was conceding. "Okay, good to know. Sit down, let's keep talking."

Helga wordlessly let go and sat down next to him, while he sank back down to the floor.

"Like I was saying, I can understand why you feel that you have to be a bully in order for people to take you seriously and not laugh at you. How's that working for you?"

"Peachy, _Dr. Phil_." Helga said condescendingly. "Care to ask me about my family next?"

"I won't make you talk about things you don't want to, Helga." Arnold said as patiently as he could. "I just want to know the truth about how you feel, and why. I won't tell anyone what you said, either. I promise."

Helga looked at him at the corner of her eye, and sighed. "...So, hypothetically, let's say I like you...how would you feel about that?" She asked bravely.

Arnold was a little puzzled by her method, but decided to humour her. "I wouldn't laugh or mock you or make you feel bad. I'd accept it. After all, I don't have any say in who you like. If you like me, that's okay. I won't make you feel stupid for it, because that's not who I am. I'll understand perfectly. And like I said, I'm honestly flattered. A little confused, but flattered. Go on Helga, just tell the truth about how you feel."

Though his words gave her confidence, since she knew he wouldn't make fun of her about them, not that she ever expected him to. He was Arnold, wasn't he? Even to the worst people, he still showed compassion. It was the rejection she feared.

But the cat was already out of the bag. He knew how she felt, and she had to confirm it.

So, in a tiny voice below a whisper, she finally said, "I like you."

"What's that?" Arnold asked, not hearing her.

"I like you." She said in a tone above a whisper.

"Can you repeat that?"

"I...like...you...."

"I can't hear you, Helga."

"I like you."

"I didn't catch that."

"I LIKE YOU!!!" Helga shouted, now grabbing his shoulders. "I like you, Arnold! I've always loved you! I'm head over heels, over the moon, in LOVE with you! I love you! I don't just like you, I love you! Love you!"

Arnold blinked lightly at her sudden outburst, full of passion and desperation. But he expected that this was how she felt, he'd been right all along. Then once a moment of silence passed, he smiled and placed his hands on her arms.

"Okay, Helga. I understand. You like me, that's fine. But you didn't need to shout."

Helga just sighed, let go of him, and sat back in her original spot. "Well there. Now you know, football head."

"Yeah...I guess." Arnold blushed a little bit. It still felt so strange to know that there was someone who was so in love with him like this. "Still, I'm confused of it all."

"What's there to be confused about? I love you, simple as that."

"No no, that's not that I meant. I mean, why? Why me? With the way you act and go about life, I would have expected you to be more...well, demanding. You know, you wouldn't settle for less than what you deserved."

Helga snorted. "Just what are you getting at?"

"I'm nothing special, Helga. I'm just Arnold. I'm a boy who doesn't even know his parents are alive, I'm pretty much the voice of reason in my own household, I don't always have time to just be a kid, I helped to crash your slumber party, I purposely missed out on the play you organized, when I learned karate I let it all get to my head and I became a bit of an ugly person because of it. I don't get it. I've liked my share of girls over my life, but they either never noticed me or just didn't want to be more than friends. I tried all I could, spending time with them and trying to get them to like me like me...I'm sure you know that with Lila and all. Face it, I'm just a guy that no girl wants. Except you. The one person I least expected to actually like me like me. ...Or, well, in your case, love me. I mean sure, the boys in our class aren't exactly boyfriend material...except maybe for Eugene, since Sheena seems to like him, and Gerald since I can definitely see that Phoebe likes him." Arnold leaned back and sighed a little. "So why me? I figured you would be a little more demanding than just an average football-headed geek that no girl ever seems to want to give a chance."

Well!

Needless to say, Helga was surprised at his little piece. She knew Arnold was very modest and didn't see himself as anything special. She understood, many people were like that, even when they accomplished pretty good things. But also, because she knew Arnold was way more than that.

"Wow, football head, you are more dense than I imagined!" Helga declared.

"Huh?" Arnold looked at her, confused.

"Arnold, you ARE special! Don't you realize that? You're...you're the perfect boy! Those girls who don't give you a chance? Come on, they're _idiots_! They don't know what they're missing! Ruth McDougal...who cares about her? She's just a snobby sixth-grader. Miss Felter? Oh please, you can't honestly have expected THAT to work! Don't you know that a grown adult woman dating a child would make her a pedophile? Yeah that's right, you would be jailbait and she would have gotten in trouble! Summer? She was just a bimbo who took advantage of you! And now Little Miss Perfect...oh come on. She was just an idiot, who could have turned down a perfect boy like you?" Helga ranted on, and then sighed, holding her head in her hands. "Arnold, quit downsizing yourself! Any girl...would be so lucky to have you as a boyfriend." She looked away as she said this.

"....Wow, I guess you're right." Arnold sighed, and then looked at her. "...You really think that?"

"Arnold, I'm in love with you! Of course I do! ...But I guess even if I wasn't, well, I'm not blind, football head. You're compassionate, patient, nice, sweet, tactful, you're a good listener, romantic, you always look on the bright side of things even when bad times strike because you strive on achieving what makes you happy and let nothing stand in your way. You never hesitate to help people, you give advice left and right, you never hesitate to do the right thing, you look out for the people you care about, you're sweet, you're caring...and sure, you have your own set of flaws, but that just makes you who you are. Even with those flaws, you're still way too nice and sweet to be considered anything less than garbage. So quit making yourself out to be less than you are!"

Helga looked up at the ceiling of the treehouse, still lost in her thoughts as she kept on talking.

"I've been in love with you since I was three. You've shown me kindness like I've never seen before, and you still do so even today. Even after everything I've done to you. My love for you never went away. And you...you notice me in a way that no one else does. Combine that with all your good qualities...well, come on, you can't blame me for falling in love with you, can you?"

Although she wanted to slap herself for opening up like this to him, and being so vulnerable and desperate, her nicer voice inside was telling her that she was doing the right thing. Plus, the sliver of hope that he would feel the same way was also what drove her. Sure, she figured the chances were slim, but she hoped. Hoped for a miracle.

And hey, this was Arnold. He would listen to her, not make her feel stupid, and even offer some advice.

"Well," Arnold finally said, catching her attention. "If you do put it that way, I guess I can't. You're a human being, nothing should stop you from loving someone. I guess I'm just a little surprised it's me, coming from you. But, I think I understand more now. Still, you like me because I was nice to you? I guess I understand...but still, I have to say it's a bit scary. I'm nothing special, and yet you put me on a pedestal. No one ever wanted to give me a chance, except Lila for a brief while, but you did all this time. Me, just Arnold. Sure I know I'm a nice kid and all, but I'm not special. You sure have a romantic view of me...in more ways than one. I can't believe you're not more demanding, going for a guy that no one else wants."

"Please, Arnold. I wouldn't be surprised if you were able to stop a volcano from erupting, or heck, to silence all nature the moment you were born. You ARE that special. There will always be someone who wants you."

"But I...never mind."

Silence befell them, unsure of how to go about all this.

He looked at her then, seeing that she was looking away, her shoulders shaking slightly. Oh no, was she crying?

"Helga...? Are you okay?" Arnold reached over and took her hand. She didn't object.

"...No one cares, Arnold."

"What do you mean?"

"Me. I'm just an empty shell of a girl who hides behind hostility! My own parents barely even notice me, the boy I love could never possibly love me back...and sure I don't do much to help myself in that situation, but still! No one cares, Arnold. If I left and ran away tomorrow, no one...would care. No one cares."

Seeing her like this tugged at his heartstrings, so much so, that he felt tears come to his own eyes. From all this thoughts from the day before, and how open and vulnerable she was right now, admitting she loved him and why, everything, it all struck him like a bolt of lightning. The urge to hold her came over him then, and knew that she needed it, more than she was willing to admit.

It had probably been a long time since she'd been hugged.

"Helga...I..." Arnold began, and in a rush of emotions, he went around to face her and gave her a hug.

Helga stiffened and gasped a little, but after a moment, she had no strength or will to push him away.

"I care. I care about you, Helga. I always have." Arnold said softly, his hold on her tightening. "If you ran away, I'd call the police, file a missing person's report, put up posters around the city, ask everyone we know if they've seen you, and I'd even go out there and try to find you myself."

"Y-You're just saying that..." Helga trembled.

"No, I'm not." Arnold said. "Look at me, Helga."

Shakily, she raised her head to look at him, tears rolling down her face.

"I do care about you. Don't ever doubt that. ...Maybe we haven't had the best relationship and I know nothing can exactly erase all the torture you put me through, it may be hard to overlook to most people, but, I know you're not like that deep down. You're a good, sweet and caring person with a great talent for poetry and creativity in general. All those times you were nice, I really liked you. Helga, when you can be yourself, you can really achieve a lot of things. And I really enjoyed you. ...But then the next minute you're blowing spitballs at me and calling me yutz. That's beside the point, though. What am I'm trying to say is, being nice doesn't mean you have to be a throw pillow. You can still be a nice girl, and not take lip from anyone. That's what I like about you, you stand up for yourself and don't let people get to you. You can do that, if you just would have more esteem, confidence. I care about you Helga, and I want you to be happy."

She stared him, mesmerized by what he was saying, but said nothing.

"I can see too, although I think I have for a long time, that you have a great need to be loved. And I an understand, I think we all go through that."

Arnold paused, thinking then once more about the question of whether or not he loved her back. Did he?

It was still unclear how he felt.

Still, he looked at her again, her blue eyes meeting his own green ones. Looking at her then, his heart sank. He wasn't looking at the tough girl persona Helga. He was looking at a shattered, broken, fragile, crying Helga. Anything of her bullying persona was wiped away by her emotions. She was just a lonely girl begging to be loved. Was that too much to ask?

Absolutely not.

Since the beginning, despite everything she did, he hated seeing her unhappy. It just broke his heart in a way he never felt before. And now he understood. It was because of her rotten home life, the fact she felt she couldn't be herself, which robbed her of great things and her wonderful personality deep down inside. She couldn't live to her full potential because of it all. She was a plain girl being robbed of living a good life.

Being loved was all she wanted. Being loved by HIM was all she wanted.

The poor girl.

Arnold almost wanted to cry then. Everything came crashing down on his heart; how sorry he felt for her, how much he liked seeing her happy, how her sorrow made him feel sad too, how great her life could be if she just gave it a chance, how much she wanted to be loved, everything. It all came to him.

His eyes never left hers, he could see in there now, a little girl crying out to him and begging to see her. Begging him to see past the mask that Helga G. Pataki wore. To see past her reputation as a scowling, tomboyish bully. To see the real girl inside.

A rush of emotions washed over him, a rush of adrenaline. His eyes fell down to her mouth, and although a crazy idea, he knew what he wanted to do for her then.

"...Helga..." He murmured softly, and brought his hands to cup her cheeks, wiping her tears.

Before he could think, his eyelids lowered, leaned upward a bit, and kissed her gently on the lips.

A choked noise came from her then, and he felt her stiffen with surprise. But he kissed her, sweetly and gently, musing at how soft her lips were, and that they tasted like candy. She then shifted closer to him, bringing her arms around his neck and head, kissing him back with longing, need, desperation. Frankly, he had no trouble fulfilling her wish. He wanted to show her he cared, that he cared about her feelings, he wanted to make her happy.

_She deserves a chance..._ Arnold thought then. _I think I love her... I want to give her a chance._

Pulling away from her, their eyes met again, and both were blushing.

"Helga, there's something I want to do for you. But, I need you to do something, too. Not just for me, but for you."

"...What?" Helga finally spoke.

"I want you to know that you can be yourself, Helga. It'll take some adjusting for you I'm sure, but that shouldn't be too bad, right? We all go through changes that we have to adjust to in life. Heck, this could take time for me to adjust, too. But, I'm willing to go through with it if you are. ...I want to give you a chance."

"A chance?" Helga's eyes widened.

Smiling, Arnold nodded and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I want to give you a chance, Helga. I've realized now, after thinking this over, well...I think I love you."

"What...?"

"I think I love you."

"Say it again...please."

"I think I-...no, wait. I'm falling in love with you. And I know I want to be with you more than just as a friend."

Her response was the biggest, sweetest smile he'd ever seen from her, and she threw her arms around him, knocking him to the floor, and kissing him just as if not more passionately and hungrily than her kiss on the FTI building.

Although taken aback, Arnold couldn't help but laugh inwardly at how expected that was.

And frankly, he wasn't complaining.

--~~--

The following week at P.S. 118, Gerald and Phoebe were walking out of school together, since Gerald had offered to walk Phoebe home, to which she had happily agreed to.

"Hey Gerald, look!" Phoebe suddenly pointed.

"What's up?" Gerald looked in the direction she was pointing, and found a bit of a surprise.

Arnold was walking with Helga, carrying two sets of books, and once they were out of sight of the other students, he smiled at her fondly and then took her hand with his free hand. She smiled back at him and squeezed his hand back as they walked off down the street together. Back the other day, they had talked and talked immensely about everything regarding their feelings and what they could do about their days at school. Frankly, it all seemed to fall into place. They'd been spending the day tete-a-tete with each other.

"Well I'll be." Gerald remarked, and smiled. "Never thought I'd see the day."

Phoebe giggled. "I'm glad it finally happened."

The two of them exchanged glances and then grinned, heading off toward Phoebe's house.


End file.
